Facebook is presently experimenting with a functionality that would allow Instagram Stories to be posted directly through WhatsApp, i.e. its Status platform. As is the case with the original format, Stories posted as WhatsApp Statuses disappear after 24 hours but also have the added benefit of being encrypted by default, just like every other aspect of the instant messaging app. The implementation itself was likely developed in a relatively short time as it utilizes code made by WhatsApp to allow third-party developers to support WhatsApp messaging in their own apps. Should the functionality end up being released on a global level, it’s possible Instagram will rework it and come up with a proprietary solution that will take more time to develop but ultimately be more effective.
For the time being, the test is limited to a relatively small number of users, all of whom appear to be based in Brazil, TechCrunch reports. The two screenshots seen below demonstrate how the feature looks in practice, with the left one showing an Instagram Story and the right one depicting its WhatsApp-based counterpart. Much like it’s the case with Instagram Stories shared on Facebook, the ones hosted by WhatsApp will have an Instagram icon in the bottom right corner to let users know they have originated from another app. Sharing WhatsApp Statuses as Instagram Stories isn’t part of the experimental package and there’s no indication Facebook’s subsidiaries are presently developing such a feature.
The move itself is reminiscent of Facebook’s recent decision to bring Instagram Stories directly to the Facebook Stories feed, i.e. cross-post them as such. Much like it was the case with the original functionality, the social media giant may be looking to use Instagram’s popular Stories format in order to promote its other services, WhatsApp’s Status in this case. The company experimented with the first integration for approximately a month before rolling it out to all users in late 2017, so the ability to cross-post Instagram Stories to WhatsApp may be introduced on a global level even before spring. Facebook confirmed the existence of the experimental feature to TechCrunch but has yet to provide any details regarding its future plans for the service.